Criteria

Initiating agency must have enough descriptive information about the child, the suspect(s) and/or the suspect vehicle(s) to believe an immediate broadcast alert will help locate the child.

Amber Alert is not to be used for runaways or family abductions unless
the child's life is in danger.

Note:
The Amber Alert plan is for the safe recovery of missing children that a law enforcement agency believes have been abducted and are in danger of serious bodily harm or death. Strict adherence to the criteria is essential in order to prevent the Amber Alert plan from losing credibility and possibly becoming less effective.